Information on Loughborough

Snibston brings the past into the classroom

Posted on 22/10/2009

Leicestershire Councty Council Community Services

22 October 2009

Snibston brings the past into the classroom

Snibston Discovery Museum has been busy bringing the past back to life and into the classroom through interactive workshops for local schools.

Art Rocks, a mineral-based art session, introduces children to the history of the earth from the Big Bang up until Snibston during the present day. The second stage of the workshop involves the development of individual artwork using a variety of natural materials such as coal and chalk.

Designed to put learning into context, they are an informative, hands-on approach to science and art. To support The Big Draw Week, which took place between 13th and 16th November, the County Council attraction has provided several of the workshops free to local schools.

Continuing the trend of bringing learning to life, Snibston has also piloted theatrical, interactive workshops with famous characters of the Industrial Revolution.

Celebrated personalities such as George Stephenson, James Watt and Ned Ludd appeared in the museum’s galleries last week to grab the attention of inquisitive pupils from local school, All Saints in Coalville. Using a professional actor to engage the children through two-way conversation and monologue performances, Snibston hopes to enhance its curriculum offering for schools.

Ernie White, Leicestershire County Council Cabinet Member for Museums, said: "Snibston has an important role to play in education, especially for the Leicestershire Community. It’s fantastic that the Snibston curriculum offering is continually evolving to capture the imagination of pupils of all ages. The character workshops in particular will be a really big hit and we hope that schools make the most of what’s on offer at this historical site".

For further details visit www.snibston.com

**Ends**

Snibston is set on the site of a former colliery and consists of a multi-award-winning interactive museum, colliery buildings of national significance, the Century Theatre, a country park and nature reserve.

The museum displays a rich and diverse collection of objects, telling the story of technology and design and how it has affected everyday life from the past to the present and into the future.